Saturday, March 07, 2009

Caritas Christi Health Care Network is a Catholic organization, operating six hospitals, affiliated with the Archdiocese of Boston. It's reported to be in substantial financial difficulty.

Commonwealth Care is a state-run program offering low or no-cost health care to Massachusetts residents who qualify.

Caritas Christi teamed with a company in Saint Louis called Centrene Corp. to propose a venture (called "Commonwealth Family Health Plan") allowing it to become a part of the the program.

The problem:

A board member of the authority overseeing the program objected to the proposal on the grounds that Caritas does not perform abortions.

One response:

A joint statement by Caritas and Centrene saying that the new venture "will contract with providers, both in and out of the Caritas network, to ensure to all services required by the authority, including confidential family planning services."

Other responses include:

@!(*$^!)*##_!(#U — or words to that effect — from area Catholics.

From C.J. Doyle, Catholic League of Massachusetts: "This appears to be an appalling betrayal of Catholic principles and a grave scandal."

From Anne Fox, president, Massachusetts Citizens for life: "It looks to me as though . . . an entity has to give up certain of its basic principles, and that just doesn't hang right."

From Caritas spokeslady Teresa Prego: "Applying for participation in the [state program] is a complex public policy process," it said. "We will carefully investigate all aspects of this proposed relationship in order to insure that Caritas Christi's participation will be in accord with Catholic teaching."

From Terrence Donilon, Archdiocese spokesguy: "Caritas is the appropriate agency to respond," (declining further comment).

From Cardinal O'Malley (in part): "I want to confirm for the Catholic community and the wider interested public that Caritas Christi Health Care has assured me that it will not be engaged in any procedures nor draw any benefits from any relationship which violate the Church's moral teaching."

Thank You, Sweet Babe!

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John 3:16

About Kelly

Kelly Thatcher is your basic nobody. She serves on no parish councils, belongs to none of the myriad of designer-chic "Catholic" groups, or any Catholic group, for that matter, other than the Roman Catholic Church. Holding no theology degrees, she has no desire to see herself or any of her sex wearing a clerical collar. She figures Jesus knew what He was doing when He established His Church, and also figures that it’s His Church, not hers, and not yours.
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